Stacking device for sheets, particularly veneer sheets



H. .1. J. MUSTAK-ALLIO 3,388,814

SIACKING DEVICE FOR SHEETS, PARTICULARLY VENEER SHEETS June 18, 19-68 Fild June 17. 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l ILNVENTORI HEIKK! J. .1. HUSTHKHLLIO June 18, 1968 w H. J. J. MUSTAKALLIO 3,388,814

PARTI3ULARLY VENEER SHEETS STAGKING DEVICE FOR SHEETS,

Filed June 17, 1965 s Sheets-Shet 2 IN VENTOR June 18; 1968 H. J. J. MUSTAKALLIO PARTICULARLY VENEER SHEETS I STACKING DEVICE FOR SHEETS,

Filed June 17, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent Office 3,388,814 Patented June 18, 1968 3,388,814 STACKING DEVICE FOR SHEETS, PARTICULARLY VENEER SHEETS Heiklri J. J. Mustakallio Lahden Rautateollisuus y, Lahti, Finland Filed June 17, 1965, Ser. No. 464,760 Claims priority, application Finland, June 23, 1964- 1,355/ 64 9 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A stacking device for glue-coated wood veneer sheets is disclosed, and includes a rest surface arranged to receive a glue-coated sheet to be stacked and supporting the sheet along laterally spaced parallel support lines. The stacking device further includes a turning table having support elements positioned between said parallel support lines and beneath said rest surface, the turning table being pivotally supported for sWinging through substantially 180 about an axis extending along an end thereof and perpendicular to the support elements.

The rest surface is formed by a plurality of relatively thin disks arranged on spaced axles extending transversely of the support lines, with the disks on laterally adjacent axles being diametrically aligned along the support lines and the upper peripheral edges of the disks constituting the rest surface. Thereby, the rest surface-forming disks have substantially a narrow line contact with the lower surface of a glue-coated wood veneer sheet supported thereon, so that the glue-coating is disturbed only along laterally spaced narrow lines. Furthermore, the disks are spaced laterally inwardly of the longitudinal edges of :a supported sheet, so that there is no disturbance of the glue along these longitudinal edges. Additionally, the support elements of the turning table have a substantially narrow line contact with the lower sheet surface during turning of the sheet.

Background of the invention Sheets, such as veneer sheets or the like, must in many treating steps of the wood working industry be stacked on top of each other, e.g. in the case of gluing the sheets or veneers together. The stacking is often done manually, which however is a very cubersome and soiling job. In addition manual handling breaks the glue film.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stacking device for sheets, particularly veneer sheets, particularly suitable for use for stacking sheets glued on both sides, since by means of said device it is possible to turn a sheet, without breaking its glue film, upon another sheet situated on a stacking table beside the device, with which sheet it is intended to be glued together, in a manner such that it does not soil with glue the device and tools, or the hands of the workers, since the movement of the sheet in the device takes place without necessity of touching the sheet.

The stacking device according to the invention is principally characterized in that it comprises a rest surface for the sheet to be stacked, formed by the highest peripheral surfaces of discs mounted on parallel horizontal shafts, and a turning table situated below the level of said rest surface, the table being mounted for rotation around its one edge for 180 in a manner such that the table at its rotation lifts the sheet clear of the said rest surface and tarnsfers it in an upside down position onto an unglued sheet on a stacking table situated at the opposite side of the rotation axle.

By means of the device according to the invention, it

is possible to place the sheets in exactly the correct position on the stacking table so that one edge of each sheet is placed on the same line. To achieve this, for instance, the velocity and the turning angle of the turning table can be suitable adjusted. The adjustment is made so as to bring the sheet to glide to rest against a ruler at the opposite side of the stacking table. Alternatively the edge of the turning table away from the turning axle can "be provided with a flange extending upward, against which the sheet is thrown during the turning movement, whereby the corresponding edges of all sheets turned by the turning table are positioned at a distance from the turning axle determined by the flange, and thus on the same line. In case the turning axle of the turning table is situated parallel to the disc shafts behind the rest surface, the height of the flange can be selected such that the sheets do not strike the flange when arriving on the rest surface propelled by the discs. Only when the turning table is turning the flange rises above the level of the rest surface to form a stopper for the edge of the sheet turning with the turning table. The said flange can also be mounted for lowering or for rotation. It is however possible also to have the turning axle situated at right angles with respect to the disc shafts, in which case the sheet is turned around it one side edge instead of the front edge.

The above described and other features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the turning head of the device as viewed from the opposite direction, and

FIGURE 3 shows the turning head as viewed from above.

In the drawing, a frame 1 is shown provided in its upper part with longitudinal side beams 3 supporting in bearing 12 transverse shafts 4 for discs 6 of plate material. In this case there are four disc shafts shown, but their number of course is dependent on the length of the sheets, e.g. veneer sheets, to be handled, and on the diameter of the discs. The disc shafts are brought into rotation by means of a chain 7, which can be tightened when necessary by means of a tightening wheel 8.

The turning table consists of a frame having its longitudinal beams 2 transverse to the disc shafts 4 and situated above said shafts, whereas transverse beams 9 parallel to said shafts are situated between the disc groups (FIG. 3). At the feed end of the turning table, which rests against a support 19 attached to the frame, there is provided a flange 5 extending upward, the upper edge of which, in the rest position of the turning table, that is the position shown in FIG. 1, is situated below the horizontal plane defined by the tops of the discs. At the opposite end of the turning table there is another upwardly extending flange 22, extending above said horizontal plane and serving to arrest at a certain point the front edge of the sheet being fed. When necessary both of the flanges or one of them can in a suitable way be made adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the turning table.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing the sheet to be turned is fed, propelled by the discs 6, from the left (FIG. 1), until its front edge strikes the flange 22, which striking can when desired be arranged to stop the movement of the discs and thus the forward movement of the sheet. The distance between the flanges 5 and 22 must of course be so adjusted, that there is room between them for the entire sheet. The sheet striking the flange 22 can also be arranged to give an impulse to actuate a pneumatic cylinder 13 for turning the turning table 2, 9 around a shaft 23, or the pneumatic cylinder can be actuated manually. The turning table can turn with a comparatively swift movement for about 180, whereat the sheet having been resting against the flange 22 is thrown against the flange 5, after the same has risen above the level of the resting surface, to stay there until the table has turned to its other end position, where it drops the sheet onto a stacking table at the other side of the turning axle 23. The flange 5 can, if so desired, be mounted for lowering or for rotation, in which case it can be higher than shown in the drawing. As mentioned above however, instead of the throwing action a guiding ruler situated at the opposite side of the stacking table can be utilized to provide a so called hard edge, in which case the flange 5 can be omitted.

In the described embodiment the sheet to be stacked thus turns around its front edge. It is however also possible to place the turning axle at right angles with respect to the disc shafts parallel to one longitudinal edge of the rest surface, for instance at the side where the sprocket wheel 16 is situated for turning the turning table, which in its turn can be positioned for instance adjacent the back edge of the rest surface. In this case the sheet fed to the rest surface can be turned beside the rest table, whereat the flange 5 is positioned along one longitudinal edge of the turning table.

The sprocket wheel 16 driving the turning table is brought into movement by a pneumatic cylinder 13, which at one end is, to a certain extent, pivotably mounted on a shaft 14 situated below the turning axle 23. The cross head of the piston rod of the cylinder is pivotably attached to a pair of lever arms 21 (FIG. 2), one end of which is solidly attached to shaft 20 of the sprocket Wheel 16. Said shaft in turn is rotatably mounted on suitable supports attached to the frame and at its outer end there is the sprocket wheel 16 in engagement with a chain also engaging another sprocket wheel 17 attached to the turning axle 23. The length of the chain is adjustable in a suitable manner. At the opposite end of the turning axle 23 there is a cam ring 11, which, after the axle has turned about half a revolution, contacts a limit switch 18, which gives an impulse to the pneumatic cylinder to turn back the turning table. When turning heavy sheets it may be necessary to place pneumatic cylinders at both ends of the shaft 20, which in that case is through going, but in the case of turning veneer sheets an onesided drive system is sufiicient.

What I claim is:

1. Stacking device for sheets, such as glue coated wood veneer sheets arranged to be superposed and adhered to each other, said stacking device comprising, in combination, means forming a rest surface arranged to receive a sheet to be stacked, having at least its lower surface glue coated, and supporting the sheet along laterally spaced parallel support lines; a turning table positioned beneath said rest surface and including support elements extending between and substantially parallel to said support lines and constructed to have substantially a narrow line contact with said lower sheet surface; means pivotally supporting said table for swinging through substantially 180 about an axis extending along an end thereof perpendicular to said support elements; and means operable to swing said table about said axis to lift a sheet supported on said rest surface and invert said sheet into superposition with a second sheet supported on a stacking table on the side of said axis opposite to said rest surface; said rest surface forming means comprising elements spaced transversely of said rest surface and laterally inwardly of the longitudinal edges of a sheet thereon, and each having substantially a narrow line contact with said lower sheet surface along said support lines, whereby the glue coating on said lower sheet surface is disturbed only along laterally spaced narnow lines extending therealong and is free from disturbance along the longitudinal edges of said coated surface.

2. Stacking device for sheets, such as glue coated wood veneer sheets arranged to be superposed and adhered to each other, said stacking device comprising, in combination, means forming a rest surface arranged to receive a sheet to be stacked, having at least its lower {surface glue coated, and supporting the sheet along laterally spaced parallel support lines; a turning table positioned beneath said restsurface and including support elements extending between and substantially parallel to said support lines and constructed to have substantially a narrow line contact with said lower sheet surface; means pivotally supporting said table for swinging through substantially about an axis extending along an end thereof perpendicular to said support elements; and means operable to swing said table about said axis to lift a sheet supported on said rest surface and invert said sheet into superposition with a second and non-glue coated sheet supported on a stacking table on the side of said axis opposite to said rest surface; said rest surface forming means comprising a plurality of relatively thin discs arranged on spaced axles extending transversely of said support lines, the discs on laterally adjacent axles being diametrically aligned along said support lines; the upper peripheral edges of said discs constituting said rest surface; whereby the glue coating on said lower sheet surface is disturbed only along laterally spaced narrow lines extending therealong and is free from disturbance along the longitudinal edges of said coated surface.

3. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 2, including means adjusting the angular velocity of the swinging movement of said support table.

4. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 2, including means controlling the angular displacement of said table about said axis.

5. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 2, including a stop extending transversely of said support table adjacent said axis, the sheet on said rest surface abutting said stop during turning movement of said turning table.

6. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 2, said means pivotally supporting said table comprising an axle extending parallel to one edge of the rest surface formed by said discs; said means operable to swing said table including a first sprocket fixed to said axle, a second sprocket spaced from said first sprocket, a chain interconnecting said sprockets, and driving means connected to said second sprocket.

7. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 6, comprising a fluid pressure actuator including a cylinder and a piston, the free end of said piston being connected eccentrically to said second sprocket to rotate the same to swing said support table about said axis.

8. Stacking device for sheets, as claimed in claim 2, said discs being rotatable about the axes of the associated shafts for feeding a sheet onto said rest surface; means for rotating said discs; and a stop extending transversely of said rest surface adjacent said axis for abutment by sheets fed along said rest surface by said discs.

9. Stacking device for sheets, such as glue coated veneer sheets arranged to be superposed and adhered to each other, said stacking device comprising, in combination, means forming a rest surface arranged to receive a sheet to be stacked, having a glue coated upper surface, and supporting the sheet along laterally spaced parallel support lines; a turning table positioned beneath said rest surface and including support elements extending between and substantially parallel to said support lines; means pivotally supporting said table for swinging through substantially 180 about an axis extending along an end thereof perpendicular to said support elements; means operable to swing said table about said axis to lift a sheet supported on said rest surface and invert said sheet with its glue coated surface into superposition with a second and nonglue coated sheet supported on a stacking table on the side of said axis opposite to said rest surface; said rest surface forming means comprising a plurality of relatively thin discs arranged on spaced axles extending transversely of said support lines, the discs on laterally adjacent axles being diametrically aligned along said support lines; the upper peripheral edges of said discs constituting said rest surface; said means pivotally supporting said table comprising an axle extending parallel to one edge of the rest surface formed by said discs; said means operable to swing said table including a first sprocket fixed to said axle, a second sprocket spaced from said first sprocket, a chain interconnecting said sprockets, and driving means connected to said second sprocket; a cam secured to said axle for rotation therewith; and a limit switch operable by said cam after a predetermined rotation of said axle, said limit switch controlling energization of said driving means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1935 Kristof 214-1 10/1961 Carter et al. 2146 4/ 1966 Fehely 214---1 9/1966 Carlson 198--33 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1961 Austria. 6/ 1929 France. 7/ 1958 Germany. 5/ 1959 Russia.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

J. E. OLDS, Assistant Examiner. 

